Jason Bearden is seeking the Republican nomination for the countywide Manatee County Commission District 6 seat in this August's primary.
Bearden is a veteran of combat in Iraq as a member of the United States Marine Corps, in which he served for over eight years and completed his service as a Marine Corps Scout Sniper Team Leader and Staff Sergeant (E-6). He holds an Executive MBA from the University of South Florida. Bearden is the National Vice President and local chapter President of the Full Gospel Business Gatekeepers Organization.
Bearden's father is a 30-year career Marine, and his mother is an immigrant. After leaving active duty, he started his family and made his permanent home in Florida. Bearden and his wife, Katie, are the proud parents of two children.
Bearden qualified for the 2022 ballot via petition signatures, an impressive accomplishment for a countywide candidate, with the Supervisor of Elections Office certifying 2901 valid petitions for his candidacy, nearly 200 more than he needed to qualify for the ballot.
"Qualifying by petition to be on the ballot is very humbling," said Bearden in a press release announcing the accomplishment. "It reminds me that hard work pays off and that the people of Manatee County are willing to sacrifice to secure our liberties for future generations. This is a testament to the real change every day Americans want and to their conviction to Keep Florida Great and free. When I am sworn into office, I will serve the residents of Manatee County with distinction, honor, and integrity."
Bearden began throwing himself into local politics during COVID-19, arguing against mask mandates and curfews. He supported Commissioner James Satcher's failed efforts to implement a local abortion ban and has praised the SCOTUS ruling that recently overturned Roe v. Wade. Bearden also supported Satcher's recent effort to allow county employees to carry concealed weapons while working.
Bearden has regularly derided "the left," "liberals," "RINO" Republicans, and any other group that does not share his ultra-conservative ideology, suggesting that, if elected–like many in the board's current majority–he would not see himself as a representative of the entire county so much as a tool to impose the agenda of his base on the broader population.
After using an associate to close what would have been an open primary via thewrite-in loophole, Bearden will face incumbent District 6 Commissioner Carol Whitmore and grassroots candidate Carol Felts in a Republican primary that will decide the next countywide commissioner. He has raised just under $74,000 as of the last reporting deadline, second to Whitmore, who has raised more than $120,000, with much of his funding coming from the real estate industry.
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